ENOLA, Pa, — The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) will be at the Dauphin County Courthouse in Harrisburg, Pa., the week of July 29 for the preliminary hearing for former Penn State administrators Graham Spanier, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz. PCAR and NSVRC are trusted resources on sexual abuse and can provide expertise on victim and offender behaviors, recommended institutional policy and practices, and ways to prevent sexual abuse. During the Jerry Sandusky case, both organizations provided interviews and resources to news outlets including NBC Nightly News, ABC, CBS, CNN and HLN. PCAR and NSVRC can aid in reporting on topics such as:

Believing and supporting victims will aid public safety: Victims of all ages must trust that they will be believed and helped if they report the people who sexually abused them. Presently, most people who commit sexual violence are never reported or prosecuted.[1]

All adults are responsible for protecting children:Adults who fail to act on suspicions or disclosures of child sexual abuse are allowing offenders to abuse children.

Sex offenders live undetected throughout our communities: Many offenders invest time and energy to be respected community members and create a façade of being trustworthy so they can commit their crimes and shield themselves from disclosures of abuse.

Institutional leaders must cultivate environments that are free from sexual violence:Administrators must ensure that policies and practices are in place, and that they are communicated and demonstrated consistently throughout the organization. While federal and state laws must be followed, institutions should set even higher standards for constituents.

Sexual abuse impacts children and their loved ones for many years:Child sexual abuse is a crime and an abuse of trust, power, and authority that may contribute to serious short- and long-term problems. Knowledge that someone could have helped, but did not may compound a survivor’s emotional wounds and ability to trust, and may prohibit them from seeking help.

There is local help for men, women and children:PCAR works with 50 rape crisis centers across the state to ensure victims of all ages can access services in 67 counties. To view these centers, visit http://www.pcar.org/contractor/search.

PCAR and NSVRC are partnering with Penn State: In wake of the Sandusky case,PCAR and NSVRC are working with Penn State to enhance their ability to detect, respond to and prevent sexual assault. So far, more than 16,000 faculty and staff members have been trained how to identify and report sexual abuse.

About PCAR and NSVRC:

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape is the oldest state anti-sexual violence coalition in the U.S. The organization represents 50 sexual assault centers that serve the state’s 67 counties. Each year these centers provide free, confidential services to more than 30,000 men, women and children impacted by sexual abuse.

Founded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape in 2000, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center identifies, develops and disseminates resources regarding all aspects of sexual violence prevention and intervention.

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